Course exposes students to key aspects of the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) industry with a focus on drone pilot training. This course is designed to help students obtain their operator certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration.

AIM began offering this training to local students at Olympic High School on October 11th. Courses will continue through November 11th. The program teaches students the history of unmanned aircraft, their various uses, the development of governmental regulations relating to drone use, and explores future opportunities in this growing field of aviation.

“We offer the drone pilot course within the local communities of all 11 of our campuses around the country, and we make it a practice to offer free training opportunities to high school students within the communities we serve,” states Vice President of Operations for AIM, Dr. Joel English. “We plan to bring our newest and most advanced AIM campus to the Charlotte area in 2018, and we feel that partnering with Olympic High School to provide its students with training and FAA certification is a meaningful entry into the Charlotte community.”

As a part of the program, AIM has signed a licensing agreement with Little Arms Ltd. for the use of their Zephyr drone flight simulator software.

The drone program culminates with a Fly Day event, to be held at Olympic High School from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This event is open to the public and will showcase the skills the students acquired during their training, highlighted by actual drone flight displays.

The Aviation Institute of Maintenance’s UAS training prepares students to take the FAA Unmanned Aircraft General (UAG) pilot exam, which is required to obtain their FAA 107 operator certificate.

“Learning how to operate unmanned aircraft systems and receiving the FAA 107 certificate places our students on the leading edge of the future of aviation,” says Michael Sasso, Director of Education at Aviation Institute of Maintenance. “This affords students the opportunity to fill the upcoming demand for drone pilots”.

Aviation Institute of Maintenance (AIM) is a network of aviation maintenance schools with campuses coast-to-coast across the United States and headquarters located in Virginia Beach, Va. AIM students are trained to meet the increasing global demands of commercial, cargo, corporate and private aviation employers. AIM graduates are eligible to take the FAA exams necessary to obtain their mechanic’s certificate with ratings in both Airframe and Powerplant. AIM’s campuses are located in the following major metro areas: Atlanta, Philadelphia, Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Washington, D.C., Kansas City, Mo., Oakland, Calif., Orlando, Fla., and Norfolk, Va. Learn more at: www.AviationMaintenance.edu.

What is an Aviation Maintenance Technician?

An aviation maintenance technician repairs and maintains all types of aircraft, such as planes and helicopters.

Duties

The duties of an AMT vary based on what company they work for. They can do anything from general maintenance to specialization in a specific area, like the airframe or powerplant. AMTs are required to diagnose issues, both mechanical and electrical, replace worn out or damaged parts and regularly inspect an aircraft on a maintenance schedule.

Educational Requirements

Aircraft maintenance schools offer programs you can complete in 18-24 months with hands-on training. The program’s curriculum should be approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). An AMT has to study a “general” set of subjects for at least 1900 hours for subjects relating to General, Airframe and Powerplant.

Salary and Employment Outlook

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there were 137,300 aviation maintenance jobs in 2014. BLS projects job outlook for holders of both Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) certificate to be greater than only holding certification for one of the two. The annual mean wage pay for aviation maintenance technicians (mechanics) was $61,190 as of May 2016.

The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) states, “the drones are coming.” And with them, they are going to bring jobs as well as an economic impact due to the changes in the drone industry, especially with the introduction of part 107 by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Drone Industry Growth

Business Insider defines drones as “aerial vehicles that can fly autonomously or be piloted by a remote individual.” Using this definition, they expect:

The military drone market is mature with the Department of Defense (DOD) looking to increase its more than 7,000 drones in 2012 by 50 more at an estimated cost of $2.9 billion.

Estimated Economic Impact

The FAA 2015 prediction deadline for integrating drones into the national civilian airspace forecasted:

$82.1 billion in economic impact by 2025

100,000 jobs by 2025

Who Will Buy Drones?

In a report by Markets and Markets, North America leads the forecast by 45% as the dominant regional market. Domestically in the US, agricultural drone applications will dwarf all others accounting for $75.6 billion of the total economic impact by 2025, according to AUVSI. Government facilities follow up by $3.2 billion while all other sectors combed will take up $3.2 billion of the economic impact.

Based on application: Aerial photography and remote sensing is expected to lead.

Based on duration of service: Short duration service is expected to lead.

Drone Economy Among States

AUVSI observes that the drone economy will not be spread in an even manner. The domestic drone boom will hugely benefit:

Open houses, like campus tours, provide you with an opportunity to get information to decide whether or not to apply to a college. In a single visit, you can gather knowledge and impressions to aide you in your final college selection. But how can you make the most out of your visit? Simply by being prepared. Here are some tidbits to keep in mind the next time you attend a college open house:

Why Attend in the First Place?

Source: Getty Images.

Sometimes, the hardest part of picking a college is narrowing down your “top choices” list. Attending a college open house can make picking the right school a lot easier. Apart from this, other reasons to show up include getting a good feel for the campus atmosphere and learning more about the specific program you’re interested in. Here are reasons to attend.

What to Prepare For

It’s important to realize that college open house events are not an example of an everyday campus experience. However, this doesn’t mean that programs are not genuine, just that they are not typical. Expect the following:

Interviews Aren’t Guaranteed- At a campus where interviews are highly encouraged, you most likely will not have an opportunity to interview on the day of an open house. You will need to revisit campus later. However, the college may decide to offer regional interviews close to you.

Colleges Make a List and Check it Twice- Colleges monitor who visits their campus and who does not. This means that scheduling a campus visit or attending an open house may offer more benefits to students who takes extra initiative to scope out the campus.

Each Open House is Unique- Every open house you attend will possess similar features. You can expect to hear from the teaching staff, support staff, as well as current students. Most colleges have the day’s programs outlined online in advance. Identify the subject matter you find most important and follow up with the appropriate resources at the open house.

Welcome, Welcome, Welcome– Expect a warm welcome from everyone on campus. Staff members will be available and prepared to answer questions from you and your family, so be sure to bring them!

Network to Expand Your Web- There will be a lot of prospective students attending college open house, making it a great opportunity to interact. Connections made at the open house could become helpful to you in the future.

Questions to Ask

Source: Getty Images.

Talk to more than just the admission staff. Seek a number of students during your tour and ask them what they like and would change about their school. To get the best experience from your visit, prepare thoughtful questions to ask. Here are some examples:

What academic elements are considered in the admission process and how important are they?

Have fun at every open house you attend. Take some time beforehand to prepare and the day of, you’ll be able obtain all the information you need to help decide if that college deserves the top spot in your college line up!

The Indianapolis campus of Aviation Institute of Maintenance will be holding a career fair for its students, graduates, as well as individuals in the community who are seeking employment.

By Brian Stauss

The Aviation Institute of Maintenance (AIM) will be holding a career fair on Thursday, October 5 at its campus located at 7251 W McCarty St, Indianapolis, IN. The fair begins at 2 p.m. and will continue until 5:30 p.m.

The event will feature a wide range of companies from the aviation industry, as well as companies not related to aviation. Employers attending will lend guidance regarding the application process for their companies, and may even hold on-site interviews for qualified applicants. Guests are expected to attend the career fair professionally dressed, with copies of their resumes and prepared to network. A list of participating employers can be found at https://www.facebook.com/events/404700236594263.

“We are very excited to welcome these employers to our campus for this career fair,” says Andy Duncan, Campus Executive Direction of Aviation Institute of Maintenance’s Indianapolis campus. “This marks a valuable opportunity for individuals interested in pursuing a career in aviation maintenance and provides an avenue for us to promote the various training options available here at AIM.”

The career fair is free and open to the public. For more information regarding Aviation Institute of Maintenance’s career fair, contact AIM’s Indianapolis campus at (317) 243-4519.

About Aviation Institute of Maintenance

Aviation Institute of Maintenance (AIM) is a network of aviation maintenance schools with campuses coast-to-coast across the United States and headquarters located in Virginia Beach, Va. AIM students are trained to meet the increasing global demands of commercial, cargo, corporate and private aviation employers. AIM graduates are eligible to take the FAA exams necessary to obtain their mechanic’s certificate with ratings in both Airframe and Powerplant. AIM’s campuses are located in the following major metro areas: Atlanta, Philadelphia, Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Washington, D.C., Kansas City, Mo., Oakland, Calif., Orlando, Fla., and Norfolk, Va. Learn more at: www.AviationMaintenance.edu.